Cheap Date

Otto’s Sausage Kitchen

Finally scored a date, but don’t get paid for two weeks? Think inside the bun (a hot dog bun, that is) and head to this family-run, eastside meat market, deli and café, where the very inexpensive sausage is king. But we’re not talking any old sausage—you do want to impress your companion, right? The house-made franks, wursts and links are based on recipes that the Eichentopf clan has perfected and served for nearly eight decades in Portland. Snag a spot in line behind Reed philosophy majors and Carhartt-wearing construction workers and take your pick from off the giant outdoor grill, where plump, succulent house wieners, pork links and chicken sausages ($1.75-2.75) await. Inside, fridges brim with 160 mostly European beers such as Czech pilsners and Bavarian weizens ($2-4), while Otto’s IPA ($3.50 pint; brewed locally by Raccoon Lodge) is available on tap. Grab a side dish like creamy German potato salad ($3.75 per pound) spiked with onions and parsley, then head back outdoors and cozy up at one of the picnic tables that wrap around the quaint shop.